Lorcan
by romani was here
Summary: A gifted young man joins the Seeker and his companions on their quest to defeat the Keeper and any unforeseen evils that lie in their future. T for mild adult situations.
1. Chapter 1

So, I love the show but sadly do not own anything or I would be making a lot more money and even perhaps get to visit New Zealand.

Okay, now that that's out of the way, let me tell you a little about my story.

It starts in between episodes Touched and Fury of season 2 and I have, unfortunately, not read the books...yet. So apologies if anything seems contradictory but I'm basing this story on the television series and even then it might conflict. Anyways, my favorite character is Cara because she sarcastic and awesome. I adore Richard and Kahlan's relationship so no love triangles because those two are just too pure to mess with. Therefore, I felt an overwhelming need to add my own character to their merry little band so Cara can get some hot love also. His name is Wesley and if you wanna know what he looks like, just google Ian Somerhalder and that's my man. I couldn't just have some average human tagging along so I gave him some special powers that I'm not sure would fit in hundred percent but I tried my best.

I hope you enjoy it.

PS: there's a narrative shift towards the end of this chapter where it is as if the narrator has no knowledge of who the characters are. I used this to kind of give a little insight at how Wesley would feel when he first meets the gang.

* * *

The sun was just beginning to slip under the thick canopy of trees when Richard returned with a freshly caught rabbit. Kahlan was in the process of building a fire with the wood she had just gathered while Zedd sat on a log and Cara stood away a little, arms crossed and a sour look on her face. "Vermin again?" She asked, obviously displeased with the evening's menu.

"It's better than nothing, Cara. I was lucky to even catch one. It's like there's barely any animals around here." Richard tossed the unfortunate animal next to where Kahlan had built a small tepee.

"If you're so unhappy with it, perhaps _you_ should try finding something more suitable." Kahlan said in a snide tone before taking a seat next to Zedd, who lit the timber with a flick of his wizard's fire. The wood crackled as flames overtook it and Cara glared at Kahlan from across them.

Everyone sat around the heat of the fire as Richard skinned the rabbit when an arrow lodged itself into the ground next to his knee. All four companions were instantly alert. The Sword of Truth was immediately drawn from its scabbard, Kahlan's deadly daggers were removed from her boots, Cara's agiels were in hand, and Zedd's hands were tense at his sides. They all faced the direction where the arrow had come, ready to strike whatever adversary emerged from the crowded forest, but instead, another arrow whistled by Cara's ear, this one coming from behind them. They all spun towards the new direction but then another arrow came inches from impaling Kahlan's thigh, causing them once again to spin in another direction.

"Show yourself!" Richard shouted, his sword glowing.

He was answered with an arrow grazing his right cheek, leaving behind a thin, bloodied scratch. Richard's sword glowed even brighter as his knuckles turned white from his grip on the hilt. Suddenly, there was a snap of a twig to the left of them. All four turned their heads simultaneously to catch sight of a man, his face half shadowed by a hood, and an arrow pulled taunt against his bow's string. The man smirked before he released the arrow, which landed right in front of Richard's toes, and then disappeared into the forest. Richard charged after him, the other three close on his heels.

They chased their attacker far beyond the perimeter of their campsite, always only a couple yards behind the man, his dark green cloak flying behind him. He made a sharp left and Richard followed a couple of second later but only to find nothing. Richard scanned the dirt for tracks but they stopped only a few feet away. His companions were with him soon, Kahlan's eyes searching the treetops while Zedd and Cara tried to peer through the thick branches, but they found nothing.

"Magic?" Cara asked aloud.

"Perhaps," Zedd said, his wise eyes scanning their surroundings, "but something tells me that man was no wizard."

"Well, whoever he was, he's gone now." Richard said as he sheathed the Sword of Truth. "We should head back before it's completely dark."

"What do you think he was after?" Kahlan asked as she followed Richard back towards camp.

"I don't know, the compass, perhaps. Maybe he's one of Rahl's banelings."

"If he's a baneling, he won't live much longer. He's a horrible shot." Cara quipped sarcastically from the back of the group.

"In any case, two of us should keep watch tonight, just to be safe."

They continued the rest of the way back in silence, eyes and ears alert to every sound or movement, and by the time they returned, the sky was dark. Fortunately, the moon was full and bright enough to penetrate through the congested treetops. The fire was also still burning, a soft glow but enough light to illuminate the figure of the hooded man snatching up Richard's half-skinned rabbit.

"Hey!" Richard yelled, causing the man to freeze. The hooded figure turned his head to the approaching group and gave them a sly smile before sprinting into the dense trees. "Stop!" Richard yelled again, once again giving chase.

"Well I think that answers our question as to what the man was after." Zedd commented.

"A thief." Kahlan said in exasperation before following after Richard. Cara let out an annoyed sigh as she and Zedd also headed in the direction the thief had gone.

The thief had ran a good mile before Richard finally caught up. He slid to a stop a couple feet in front of the man, his sword drawn and his breathing labored. "Give it back." He said sternly.

"Alright, just don't kill me." The man replied, his face still covered by his hood. He put his hands up in surrender before slowly untying the rabbit from his waist. "Here you go." He held the dead animal out for Richard to take. His bow was slung across his chest and he had no other visible weapon on him, so Richard used a hand to reach out and take back his kill. He grasped the bound feet of the furry creature, taking his eyes off the man's for only a second, when the thief used his free hand to grab hold of Richard's.

Kahlan, Cara and Zedd arrived in time to see the Seeker fall to his knees, the Sword of Truth clanging against the ground, and hear an agonizing scream escape his lips.

"Richard!" Kahlan shouted as she sprinted, dagger in hand, towards the man she loved.

The thief ripped the rabbit out of Richard's clenched fist and then dashed off to the right. Richard fell forward as Kahlan skid on her knees to catch him. She held him away slightly as her eyes frantically searched for any wounds, but there wasn't a scratch on him except for the one the arrow had left on his cheek.

"Is he alright?" Zedd asked as he approached to the couple.

"I'm okay," Richard panted out, "I think."

"What happened?" Kahlan asked as she helped him stand.

"I'm not sure. I went to take back the rabbit when I felt this terrible pain through my whole body. It felt worse than an agiel, Kahlan, like every bone was being crushed."

"Zedd?" Kahlan looked at the older man for an answer.

"I've never heard of a magic more painful than that of an agiel." Zedd replied with a perplexed look.

"Speaking of agiels," Richard said, his breath becoming more even, "where's Cara?"

- Note From Author: change in p.o.v.

Far way from where he had left his pursuers, the thief chuckled to himself as he slowed to a walk. "Damn fools."

"Not anyone I know, I hope." The man spun to find a red leather clad woman approaching him with a very annoyed look on her beautiful face. He snorted as he carefully maneuvered around the woman.

"You people are persistent, I'll give you that, but there's a fine line from becoming stubborn." The thief said with a smile. He pushed back his hood to reveal a pair of strikingly blue eyes almost the color of silver. He was an extremely attractive man under all the dirt and scraggly beard, and easily as good looking as the man he had left screaming in agony a mile or two back. His brown hair was shaggy and slightly waving towards the ends, which reach to about his mid-cheek. He wore a pair of extremely sun-bleached black pants, scuffed black boots, a green shirt that had holes riddled through it, and a darker green cloak whose hood had done remarkably well at hiding his handsome face. The man stopped circling away from the woman in red and gave her a devilish smirk. "Something tells me you're the stubborn type."

"Or perhaps just hungry." She snapped back, inching closer to the handsome thief. "If you give up the vermin without a struggle, I'll make your punishment short."

"What are you going to do with that?" The man asked, completely unfazed by her menacing tone, and pointed towards the red, club-like weapon in her hand.

"I'll let you feel for yourself." The beautiful woman was just half a step away when she pressed the tip of the weapon against the theft's abdomen. The man's jaw clenched and there was the sound of a grunt in the back of his throat but his beautiful eyes never left her's. Confusion widened the woman's eyes before she moved the club to press against his right pectoral. He flinched against the touch then looked down curiously. The woman watched in shock as he grabbed the club and then, against the resistance of the woman, brought it up to his face. His crystal eyes examined it and its wielder with a child-like curiosity.

"Interesting." He lifted his free hand and started to wiggle his index finger in front of the woman's face, slowly creeping closer. Her blue-green eyes followed his finger until it came to a rest between them. Her eyes rolled to the back of her head and her knees buckled immediately upon contact, but the man caught her and held her to him before she could fall to the ground. "Time to go home." He said before slinging her unconscious body over his shoulder.


	2. Chapter 2

Just some quick notes.

I realize I spelled Zedd's name wrong. That won't be happening in later chapters. Thanks for pointing that out.

Okay, on with the story and where back to regular narrative p.o.v.

* * *

Cara awoke to the smell of roasting meat and the occasional snap of charred wood. Her vision was blurry but she could make out a figure hovering above her. She tried to move her hands but they were bound tightly behind her back. Unable to strike her captor with her fists, she tried to bring her legs up for a swift kick, but they were bound as well, in fact, she was unable to move them at all. "I tied those to a boulder in case you tried to kick me… or strange me with them." The man seemed very pleased with is handy work as Cara struggled against the ropes. Her vision was slowly clearing and she could tell they were in a cave. She stilled when she realized it was a waste of energy to try and get loose. The man knew how to tie to secure knot.

"What'd you do to me?" She asked, her voice slightly coarse.

"Oh that," her capture said as he walked back to turn the piece of meat over the fire, "that was nothing."

"It didn't feel like nothing," Cara spat, "it felt like you hit me in the head with a giant club."

"It was nothing as compared to what I could do." The man said mockingly. "You should ask your friend, he could tell you what real pain feels like." He grabbed the spit holding the meat before taking a seat next to Cara's legs. Cara's focus instantly cleared when the man mentioned Richard. She tried again to loosen her bounds but to no avail. "Relax," the thief said through a mouthful, "it's not like I killed him." Cara continued to kick and wiggle to get free. "Besides," he took another bite, "you'll get to see him again in a few hours." She stilled and looked at the man quizzically. "The only reason I took you was because I need someone to tell your friends I'm not your enemy."

"If you're not then why'd you attack us earlier?"

"I needed to draw you away so I could grab the rabbit." He held up the halfway eaten leg. "I thought about giving you some, but that seemed a little unfair seeing as how they're probably starving out there right now."

"Why couldn't you have just killed your own meal? Why'd you have to steal ours?" Cara asked bitterly.

"In case you haven't noticed, there isn't much game around here."

"Richard mentioned something about the lack of wildlife."

"It's because of the big, bad wizard in the mountains." The attractive man took a final bite of his food before discarding it into the flames. "He's apparently holding some sort of grudge towards the people of the nearest town and has decided to make their lives even more miserable." His piercing blue eyes bore straight into the fire, the flames making them glow a silver color. Cara found herself unable to look away from them.

"Why?" She barked.

"Who cares?" He replied sharply, never taking his eyes off the flickering flames. "All you need to know is that if you don't get out of this area quickly, you and your friends will either die of starvation or freeze to death. The wizard doesn't just drive away the animals, he sends terrible snow storms every night." The man snorted. "As if the wind wasn't bad enough.

"What do you mean?"

The man looked towards where Cara guessed the winds came from. "There's a north wind that blows down this way from the frozen tops of the mountains. It chills you to your bones."

"I didn't notice one before."

"That's because you guys weren't far enough north yet. I'm sure your companions are experiencing the full effects of it right now. They seem like tough people though," the man stood and brushed off the dirt from his hands, "I'm sure they can make it through the night." He walked a couple feet away and squatted in front of a worn knapsack. He pulled out a large, grey, fur blanket, shaking it out before walking back to Cara. "The snow's beginning to fall." He said as he draped the blanket atop of her. She turned her head to look and sure enough, a thin layer of snow was beginning to form at the mouth of the cave. The handsome man moved a large wood contraption to the entrance. The contraption was large enough to span across the whole length of the cave and reached to about halfway up the cave walls. "So the snow doesn't get in." He said as he walked back. When he reached her, he squatted down in front of her and rested his arms on top of his thighs. "Now, I'd untie you, but I feel like you'll just try and kill me, so you're just going to have to try and get comfortable as you are." He would have almost sounded apologetic if it wasn't for the amused smirk plastered on his face. "By the way," he said as he stood and grabbed more kindling for the fire, "I have your weapons." Cara's green eyes flared with anger. "Strange things they are. They emit some sort of energy that I'm guessing is suppose to hurt a lot." He added the fresh wood and the flames licked at their bark. "Strange that the person wielding them also experiences the pain. I would think their maker would have been more sensitive."

"It teaches us strength and endurance." Cara snapped. She was obviously upset at the man's disregarding tone towards her beloved agiels.

"And who's us?" He asked as he lied down across the fire with his head resting on his palm.

"The Mord Sith." Cara looked at the man as if he were an imbecile.

"Never heard of them."

Cara scoffed in disbelief. There was no way no one hadn't heard of a Mord Sith. Everywhere she went the people recognized her and her sisters. But the man just shrugged and rolled away from her.

"Goodnight, Madame Sith."

Cara stared at the back of his head in astonishment. She wondered if he really was as ignorant as he seemed, or if he was just playing her. But she would worry about that tomorrow, at the moment she would try to get some rest, despite the uncomfortable position she was in. Tomorrow she would get back her agiels, teach the insufferable man a lesson about the Mord Sith, then drag him back to Richard.


	3. Chapter 3

By the time Richard, Kahlan, and Zedd were awake, the snow that had threatened to turn them into icicles last night had already melted. But the wind was still bent on freezing them to their cores. Richard had hastily built them a makeshift shelter to shield them from nature's fury, but it was little more than a couple sticks and branches tied together. Their fire had gone out before it was even lit so the three had shivered themselves to sleep. Zedd started the day in a grumpy mood, his body could not adapt as well as that of his younger companions, and so every joint ached as he slowly came to a stand. By the time he was upright, Richard and Kahlan had already gathered their belongings into their packs.

"Which way now?" Kahlan asked as she slung her pack onto her back.

"I don't know. The snow wiped away his tracks." Richard's eyes scanned the damp ground for any indication of a disturbance.

"What was that last night? I didn't think these lands got snow during this time of year."

"It doesn't." Cara's voice carried over the wind from their left, startling her companions. Everyone one looked flabbergasted to have the woman they were searching for appear before them.

"Cara!" Richard exclaimed in surprise as the Mord Sith sauntered her way up to the trio. "What happened to you?"

"I went after that thief but when he touched me I went unconscious. He then took me to a cave for the night where he bound me and then proceeded to tell me of a wizard responsible for the unpleasant weather."

"A wizard that can control the weather, there's not many of us who posses the necessary skills." Zedd said dubiously.

"He's also the reason there's so few animals around here." Cara added sullenly. "He's got some sort of resentment against the nearest townspeople."

"And this man just told you all this information?" Kahlan asked skeptically.

"Yes." Cara answered sharply, her eyes boring into Kahlan's light blue ones, daring her to challenge her.

"Did he hurt you?" Richard asked with sincere concern.

Cara tore her eyes away to look at her Lord Rahl. She licked her lips then tilted her as she responded with a "no."

"How is it that you managed to escape?"

"I am a Mord Sith, wizard," Cara said condescendingly, "but," Cara paused and licked her lips again, "he let me go." Cara's plan to teach her captor a lesson had not gone quite as she had planned.

Cara was stirred awake by the feeling of warmth being taken away. She tried to grab it back but was reminded by the harsh rub of twine that her hands were still bound. She slowly opened her green eyes and watched as the thief packed up the source of her heat into his tan leather knapsack. The fire had long gone out so the morning chill greeted Cara. The man turned as he tied the knapsack across his chest and grinned when he saw Cara.

"Oh so you're finally awake." He said teasingly as he leaned over her, the first rays of morning lighting his handsome face. "I guess I should untie you now since we should get going in order to meet up with your friends."

Cara made no indications she had heard the man. Her eyes were focused on the two red agiels snuggled into the waist of his black pants. The man followed her line of sight to his waist. "You probably want these don't you?" Again there was no indication of recognition. "I'll put them over here." He laid them down next to where the fire had burned, a good five feet from where Cara laid. He then reached into his right boot where he pulled out a small knife, the blade fitting between his index and middle finger when he curled his hand into a fist. He used the small blade to cut Cara's binds, first her feet, then her hands. He gave her a small smile before walking over to where his bow and quiver rested against the wall. As soon as his back was turned, Cara grabbed hold of her agiels and scrambled to her feet. The man turned around to see what the commotion was but was greeted with a hard strike to his cheek. His head snapped to the side and a small cut bled on his bottom lip. Cara then touched the agiel to his abdomen and he flinched, but turned his head to give her an annoyed look. A harsh blow to the cheek once again greeted him. His nostrils flared and his eyes widened in anger. He turned his head again, and this time, before Cara could strike him again, he caught her wrist. She tried to bring her other hand up to hit him but he already had a firm grip on that wrist as well. She tried to maneuver out of his hold but he brought her closer to him and leaned forward to touch his forehead to hers. She immediately stopped struggling as her face grimaced in pain and the agiels fell from her hands. "Now," the man said as he leaned back away, "if you don't want that to happen again, you won't hit me." Cara blinked her eyes furiously. "Lets try this again." The thief stooped over to pick up the fallen agiels and then held them out in front of him. Cara looked at him indignantly before snatching back her weapons. "Alright, since that's out of your system, lets go." The man slung his quiver of arrows across his chest and swiftly picked up his bow.

Cara followed the man through the melting snow, always looking for an opportunity to take advantage of him, but none ever appeared. The handsome thief had led them back to where Cara could make out the sleeping forms of her traveling companions. The snow had melted on the hike, covering her boots in mud. "So here's what's going to happen." The man said as he turned on her. "You're going to walk back to your friends, they'll ask you a bunch of unnecessary questions, and then you'll tell them everything that happened to you while I listen in, out of sight, so don't make up any silly lies or things might turn messy." He gave her a wink before flipping up his hood and walking off to the right.

"Why?" Richard's voice was full of confusion.

"Because he wanted me to tell you that he's not our enemy."

"Which I'd like to personally assure." A man's voice reached them from behind, causing everyone to turn and watch the approaching thief. All were instantly on edge. He noticed Richard's grip on the hilt of his sword. "I come bringing no ill will, just an apology."

"Why should we trust you?" Richard asked harshly. "Because of you we had to go to bed hungry last night and you kidnapped one of us."

"I'd hardly call it a kidnapping." The man said as pushed back his hood to reveal his handsome face and stopped a good feet out of the range of Richard's sword. "Maybe I was lonely," Cara scoffed and drew one of her agiels, " and about your dinner, I have a solution to that matter." The thief inched closer to the edgy group causing Richard's grip to tighten. "Let me take you to a more suitable place to set up camp and I'll cook you dinner as my way of saying sorry."

"Thanks, but I think we can manage." Richard barked back.

"Can you?" The man raised an eyebrow. "Then I take it you had a pleasant night." Silence filled the air between them. "I figured." The man said knowingly. "Listen, I know this place a lot better than you do, how do you think I got away from you the first time? So, you can either take my help and sleep comfortably on a full stomach, or I can take my knowledge and food elsewhere and let you die. It's your choice." The man had a sincere bluntness to his voice that left no doubt he would do exactly that.

Richard let out a defeated sigh and relaxed his stance. "Fine," he said shortly, "but you have to tell us more about this wizard." The man nodded. "And about yourself."

The man's face hardened at the last part. "I don't think that's relevant."

"It is if you don't want the Mother Confessor to make you." Richard's tone was dark and threatening.

"I'd like to see her try." The man spat back, an arrogant look on his face.

Kahlan looked at Richard, who nodded his approval, before closing the gap between them and the man and grasping his neck. Kahlan's irises went black as did the man's eyes, but she found herself struggling to force her power onto him. The ebony slowly receded from his eyes while Kahlan's remained. His lips tilted into a devious smirk before Kahlan released him and collapsed.

"Kahlan!" Richard shouted as he rushed to her. "What'd you do to her?" He asked vehemently, holding Kahlan to his chest.

"I didn't do anything."

"That's a lie." Cara snapped as she carefully walked towards the smirking man. "He does something whenever someone touches him."

"No," Kahlan said as Richard helped her stand, "he didn't do anything. My powers just didn't have an effect on him."

The man's smirk turned smug as everyone stared in wonder at him. "Now," he began as he folded his arms behind him, "I'm still willing to offer my generosity, despite your ungratefulness and immense rudeness, and I'll even throw in my name if we can stop with all this child-ness and get a move on."

Richard looked at the collapsed shelter he had built last night and then the tired faces of his friends and nodded. "Lead the way."

"Great!" The man exclaimed, clapping his hands together, "My name's Wesley and we head this way." Wesley used his clasped hands to point in the direction of northeast. "The wind's less of a bother on the east of the mountain so we'll want to camp there tonight. It also just happens to be on the way to the nearest town, which is where I was headed before running into you lot."

The group followed after Wesley towards the direction he had pointed. "This being the same town this supposed wizard torments?" Zedd asked.

"That's the one."

"Good, I'd like to find out more about who this wizard is."

* * *

I'd just like to say I'm happy to finally stop using "the man" to describe Wesley. It gets so annoying after awhile.

Part 4 is soon to come, it's longer and perhaps a bit slower.


	4. Chapter 4 Part I

Whew! Christmas is over. Now a I have time to write.

Okay so I began writing Chapter 4 and it was going to be a long one, but, I didn't want people to be confused about Wesley and his powers so I put up half of the chapter to explain his character a little bit. And, I just got tired.

So, just to make it clear, Wesley is not invincible and this chapter sheds a small fraction onto his history. There's also going to be some, what I hope will be, cool connections between Wesley's power and Richard and the gang. You'll have to stay tuned for that.

* * *

Wesley was at the lead as the group headed north at an extremely quick pace. Kahlan followed the closest to him, her blue eyes staying sharp to his every move, her fingers itching to grab for her daggers if he decided to use his bow for a purpose other than a walking stick. Richard and Cara stayed back a bit further to speak with Zedd.

"Who do you think this guy is?" Richard asked as he slowed his pace a tad to fall into stride with his grandfather.

"Not who, but what." Zedd answered like the question was an annoying riddle. His face was contorted in puzzlement. "It's strange. It would appear that he is a member of a powerful race of people, that until now, I had thought to be extinct."

"So what is he?" Cara's face was furrowed with impatience.

"He's a _lorcan_." Zedd said spitefully. "They're a race of people who can manipulate a person's thoughts and feelings to that of excruciating pain with just the touch of their skin. That's what happened when he touched the two of you." Richard and Cara shared a look of growing understanding. Zedd continued in undisclosed detestation. "They're power is completely mental. There's no limit to the pain they could think of, and it almost makes them resistant to magic."

"Which is why Kahlan couldn't confess him." The gears in Richard's head started to turn as he started to put together the pieces.

"No," Zedd corrected, his tone switching to that of a teacher, "he's not immune to a confessor's touch, just more resistant. Because their power relies on the mind and feelings, a lorcan's mind and their adversary's are linked with the contact, so a lorcan's own thoughts and feelings must be powerful enough to invade but be resilient to any foreign ones. A confessor can confess a lorcan but it's a lot of work to force their magic onto him. They also built a resistance to most magic, but there _are_ a few that have a very nasty effect on a lorcan."

"So that's why my agiel barely had an effect on him." Cara's voice was tart and her face was sour.

Zedd nodded. "Most of my spells won't have an effect on him either and despite how unpleasant this fellow may be, I wouldn't dare willingly use any that could."

Richard's face contorted into confusion. "You said he's not immune to Kahlan's touch," Zedd nodded again, "then why didn't it work earlier?" Richard's tone was full of frustration as he looked ahead at Kahlan carefully stalking Wesley. This was the last thing they needed right now: a powerful lorcan that was almost impossible to defeat and had decided to adjoin himself to their traveling company. And on top of that, he was a _thief_ whose intentions would be impossibly hard to decipher. Richard would definitely be loosing some sleep tonight.

"My guess is that, because of the lack of nutrition and rest, Kahlan's mental stamina isn't at its full capacity right now and so Wesley was able to resist." Richard sighed and rubbed his temples. They were trusting a man who had stolen from them, even kidnapped one of them, to help find food and shelter and not slit their throats while they slept. It seemed like the day was only getting worse. He picked up his pace to catch up with Kahlan and keep a better eye on their guide.

They continued to walk for a few more miles, four pairs of eyes watching Wesley's every movement while trying to not trip over the increasingly difficult terrain. It seemed Wesley was leading them to the base of the ice-capped mountains and the wind was getting worse. Suddenly, Wesley turned east and led them to the steep foothills that were a mosaic of jagged grey rocks and moss-covered boulders. Wesley halted at the base and stared up at the foreboding mountain. The wind had lessened slightly but it still fiercely tousled Wesley brunette locks.

"Alright," he said as he adjusted his bow across his chest, "here comes the fun part." Richard and the rest came to a halt a few feet behind him. A nervous tension settle into the air as Wesley stood with his back to them and they waited to see if he had led them into some sort of trap. "The climb will take about two hours or so to get to the cave," Wesley was completely relaxed despite his company's rigid demeanor, "then we can set up camp." His tone was oddly upbeat and when he turned around, he had a pleasant smile on his lips.

Richard was slightly thrown off by Wesley's strange mood. He couldn't decide if this man was a friend or enemy. He decided he would just have to trust in his faith in good human nature. Richard turned to check the position of the sun. It was about noon. He let out a quiet sigh. He would like to keep going and get as close to the town as possible while there was still light, but he wanted to make sure his friends were well fed and rested. That way, if this Wesley character decided to stop playing nice, they would be healthy enough to fight him off.

An irritated sigh drew his attention back to said man. "We're losing daylight." Wesley's eyes shone with annoyance.

Richard nodded once. "Lets go."

Wesley turned sharply on his heel and began the climb up the almost perpendicular mountain face. Kahlan was once again right at his heels while the other three remained farther back. Richard's eyes never left her back though.

"He doesn't seem too bad." Cara raised an eyebrow as her eyes watched Wesley deftly scale a medium sized boulder.

"I wouldn't be too quick to trust him, Cara." Zedd's voice was slightly hushed. "His people weren't known for their kindness or generosity. They abused their power to satisfy their every whim with no regard for other people or rules. They have a genetic incapability to follow any type of rule."

"Zedd." Richard reprimanded.

"Fine," Zedd said like a five year old, "maybe it's not genetic but it _is_ definitely a culture defect. The only reason their race went extinct was because none of them would bow and serve Darken Rahl." Richard and Cara's faces furrowed into shock. Questions filled their eyes. Zedd decided to inform them of Rahl's dealings with the Lorcan clan. "Rahl decided having his own personal army of lorcans would be extremely beneficial and efficient, except there was a problem. The lorcans don't serve anyone. They do whatever they please because they think they're invincible. They were so used to everyone cowering in fear of being touched that when Rahl came to ask for their allegiance, they dared to laugh at him. As I'm sure you can imagine, that didn't please the Lord Rahl. He ordered his army to begin executing every last lorcan until they finally submitted. But none of them were willing to bend their knee. The soldiers burned their village and began massacring everyone with crossbows before a lorcan could get close enough to touch them." Zedd paused as they came to a particularly challenging ledge.

Wesley scaled the jagged wall with easy then stuck his arm back down to assist Kahlan. Kahlan looked at his outstretched hand and then and him. She hiked up her dress and climbed the wall, carefully avoiding any contact with Wesley. Wesley smirked at her when she reached the top then started back up the mountainside. Kahlan turned to reach for Richard and then the two help Zedd, which caused a bit of mayhem as Cara, Kahlan and Richard tried to lift the older man up without mutilating him against the jagged rocks. Kahlan and Richard both held onto a hand and lifted as Cara tried to push him upwards. Wesley turned back to see what was all the racket only to be amused at the sight of the tall wizard being hauled up like a spare piece of luggage. They finally managed to get the cursing wizard over the ledge and Cara quickly joined them as well. Everyone waited as Zedd dusted himself off while Wesley stood a few yards away with a bemused look on his face. He let out a snort as they began to walk towards him, which got him a glare from Kahlan's piercing blue eyes, then turned to lead the way again.

The four walked in pairs, Cara and Kahlan were the closest to Wesley, Cara's eyes never leaving his backside and never losing their glint of peaked interest, Kahlan's never losing their suspicion. Richard walked alongside a recovered Zedd. Zedd grabbed him by the shoulder and pulled him to a stop as the others continued on. He looked at his grandson with an intense seriousness. "Don't be fooled by his amicable behavior, Richard," Zedd's gaze hardened, "lorcan's believe they serve no one and that everyone else should serve them. We can't trust this Wesley."

Richard's jaw clenched and he turned to watch Wesley walking ahead. "We have no choice right now." He said as he turned back to Zedd. His voice had a slightly defeated and tired tone to it but his eyes were ablaze with alertness. "He knows these mountains better than we do and I don't know if we could make it through another night like last night. So lets see where he takes us but not let our guard down. Then we can see about getting rid of the wizard responsible for the blizzards." Richard gave a small assuring smile before heading back to the group.

Zedd stood behind for a couple seconds with an unsure look before following after the Seeker. He would play along for now, but sooner or later, he was sure Wesley's true nature would surface and they'd all be in serious danger.

He just hoped they could get a meal out of the handsome lorcan first. His stomach rumbled in agreement.

* * *

I hoped that helped. Part II should be up soon.

- romani_was_here


	5. Chapter 4 Part II

Alrighty, this took forever to write and I'm not sure if I'm happy with the way it came out but this is Part II of Chapter 4 and it's got some juicy backstory to Wesley. Well, at least I hope it's juicy.

I'm finding myself questioning whether the dialogue is too modern and that can cause some serious writer block sometimes. I hope it's not.

Enjoy.

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They finally reached the cave after three hours of battling treacherously steep slopes, slippery rocks, and the furious wind that constantly attempted to blow them over the edge. When they finally filed into the cave, everyone threw their packs into a pile and collapsed in relief. The lack of food and good nights rest from the previous day had taken its toll on the Seeker, Mother Confessor, Wizard of the First Order, and Mord Sith and made the hike harder than it would have normally been. The cave was an agreeable size. It was tall enough for Zedd to stand without stooping and wide enough so when Cara and Kahlan laid on opposite ends their feet didn't have to come into contact. The remains of Wesley's fire from a couple days ago were still visible. They rested in the middle of the cave and a few feet deeper from the weary travelers. A similar wooden contraption he had used when Cara had spent the night as his bound guest rested against the wall of the cave as well. They could hear the wind whistling outside the cave, but fortunately the cave was deep enough that the wind couldn't reach them. Richard and Kahlan laid side-by-side against one of the walls, both regaining their breath quickly as they stared at the ceiling and gave their tired legs a much needed rest. Zedd and Cara did the same on the other side of the cave but with a considerable amount of space between them and with Cara's head tilting in fatigue as she removed her gloves to let her hands breathe. Her jade eyes vigilantly watched the lively Wesley swiftly build a fire. He _was_ the only one of them that had eaten and slept comfortably last night.

"When do we eat?" Cara barked. The question brought everyone's eyes onto their host.

"As soon as I skin and season the rabbit." Wesley replied a bit tersely, never taking his eyes off his work. He finished building the small tepee with the wood he had left here in case he returned, then looked at Zedd with a sardonic look. "Give us a hand, wizard?"

Zedd raised a tired hand and then released a small flame towards the wood tepee. The flames lit up the dry wood and warmth slowly filled the space. There was an almost audible sigh of relief as everyone's bodies slowly lost the rigid-ness the ice-cold wind had blown into them.

Wesley proceeded to make a spit out of some of the extra wood left over and placed it over the crackling flames. He made sure it was secure then sat down in front of the flames, facing his guests. He unstrapped his knapsack from his chest and then unbound the fabric. What he took out was a bundle of grey, fur blankets like the one he had given Cara, a pot, three small pouches, a bigger pouch that looked like it was just a piece of fabric torn from Wesley's cape and then tied together with some twine, and then the three-legged rabbit. The exposed meat from where Richard had begun to skin it yesterday had been salted to preserve the meat from rotting. All four eyes were glued to the maimed animal as Wesley set it onto the spread out knapsack.

"You guys should see your faces." Wesley chuckled as he reached around to his back and pulled out a sharp knife from under his green cloak. Everyone forgot about the food and went on alert, their eyes on the blade in Wesley's hand.

But he just skinned the rest of the bedraggled animal as his audience relaxed and watched with drool practically dripping from the corners of their mouths. When he finally rid the creature of its fur, he discarded it into the back of the cave and then grabbed the three small pouches he had laid out earlier. As soon as he opened them, three delicious scents filled the air and reached Richard, Kahlan, Zedd, and Cara's nostrils. The four breathed in simultaneously as they took in the seasoned smells. Wesley grabbed a pinch from each pouch and then used his hands to massage the seasonings into the meat. Four pair of eyes watched his movements as if they were some sort of magical spectacle. When Wesley finished, he picked back up the knife he had skinned the rabbit with and gutted the creature. His lips were curved into an amused grin but his eyes were intense with focus. He worked the knife in and out of the animal, removing the liver from its belly and dropping it into the pot he had set beside him, then adding the heart quickly after. The organs that he didn't add he simply discarded into the flames of the fire. He set the naked rabbit back onto the cloth then went to work slicing the liver and heart into small pieces over the pot. He turned his back to his four mesmerized guests and grabbed the spit. He used his knife to sharpen an end and then speared the rabbit before setting it above the flames. The fire licked at the meat and soon the mouthwatering aroma of the roasting seasoned meat filled the cave.

If on queue, Zedd's stomach growled loudly.

"How long is it going to take?" Zedd asked, his mouth agape.

"Patience old man." Wesley smirked. He opened the large pouch and everyone strained in anticipation. Inside were two medium sized potatoes.

"Where'd you find those," Richard eyes were full with wonder, "and the spices too?"

Wesley's agile hands began to skin and slice the potatoes into the pot at a quick speed. "I don't think you want to know." He answered cautiously. "May I?" He pointed to Cara's water canteen. She handed it over as if in a trance, her eyes never strayed from the animal, but when Wesley grabbed hold of it, their fingers brushed and she felt a strange jolt run through her. It wasn't pain like before when he had touched her, but it still made her breath catch and caused her eyes to look into his smug ones. Wesley poured a portion of the water into the pot then handed back the canteen. Cara wearily took it back, but there was no brush of skin this time. Wesley scooted over close to Cara; making her shift away an inch and bringing Richard and Kahlan's quizzical gaze onto him. Zedd was too busy gawking over the sizzling meat to notice anything of the living world. Wesley gave them all a small, charming smile before stretching his arm out and holding the pot over the flames.

They sat in silence as the meal cooked. The only disturbance was a sizzle of grease dripping into the orange flames as Wesley every once in awhile turned the spit. Perhaps it was because everyone was too tired or the aroma of the food was too hypnotizing, but the silence in the cave was comfortable, as if this was just another day for the Seeker and his companions. That is, except for the brief akward moments when Wesley would shift his weight and brush against Cara.

When the food was done, Zedd, Richard, Cara, and Kahlan all had their plates out, ready to catch the serving Wesley handed out. Wesley chuckled lightly as he gave each person a fair share of the rabbit meat and stew

"Oh my!" Kahlan exclaimed as she took a bite of the seasoned rabbit meat.

"This is amazing!" Richard agreed through a mouthful.

Wesley just shrugged. "It's probably just because you guys are starving." He took a bite of the juicy meat. "This is just a bland meal compared to what I could do with some real food." He looked at Cara through the corner of his eye. She caught his gaze and raised an eyebrow.

"Stop boasting and eat." Zedd barked before shoveling a spoonful of steaming stew into his mouth.

All five stomachs were content when they finished, but Zedd still went in for seconds. The sun was beginning its decent below the horizon when Richard decided now would be a good time to finally get some questions out of Wesley.

"So," he began, he wanted his voice to sound authoritive, but he felt strangely at ease, so his voice was more sociable than he would have liked, "who is this supposed wizard that lives in these mountains?"

Wesley stretched out his legs as he answered. "Probably just some grouchy old man like that one." He pointed towards Zedd.

"Hey!"

Wesley's lips curled into a bemused smile. "All I've heard is that he doesn't care for the townspeople of Kellic so he's trying to drive them away by making their lives miserable with snowstorms and lack of food." Richard opened his mouth to speak but was curtly cut off. "I don't know why, so don't ask. I'm sure you can find out all you want to know when we reach the town tomorrow. Maybe he's a long lost twin of mister pessimistic over there." Wesley once again indicated Zedd and it was obvious he was aware of Zedd's unfriendly feelings towards him. Richard fought against a smile.

"Well can you answer this question?" Wesley turned to look at the miffed wizard. "How is it that you're alive?"

Understanding filled Wesley's blue eyes but he lowered them before anyone could detect the glint of fear buried beneath. "You figured me out have you?" His voice was playful but there was a twinge of sadness. His smile didn't quite reach his eyes when he looked back up and his face was nuetral.

"Yes," Zedd's face was like stone, "and I'm very curious as to how you weren't executed with the rest of your wretched kind."

"Zedd!" Richard scolded firmly.

"I'm going to take a wild stab and say you're not very fond of lorcans." Wesley said without missing a beat. He appeared indifferent to Zedd's rudeness, but Kahlan noticed his fist was clenched. "I don't blame you. My father was a no good bastard who couldn't curb his promiscuous habits." There was an obvious anger to Wesley's tone as he talked about the man who fathered him that he didn't try to hide. "I am one of his probably many products of infidelity. My mother was a whore at one of the brothels in a nearby town to the lorcans'," Wesley let out a short snort, "I wasn't planning on giving you people my life story, but, you seem like decent people, and since you already know what I am and haven't tried to kill me…" Wesley trailed off as returned his gaze back to the spot in front of him.

Zedd's face was curious. "It's rare that an offspring between a lorcan and normal human being can inherit the lorcan abilities." Kahlan and Richard flinched at Zedd's use of the word 'normal.' "Especially if the father is of lorcan blood."

"Yes," Wesley said, his tone turning sarcastic, "I'm on of a kind, literally." His slightly somber mood suddenly perked up. "Enough about me. Lets talk about you." His eyes looked over all four of his guests.

"Well," Richard began, hesitant about giving any information to a stranger he still wasn't sure was on their side, "my name's Richard Cypher, this is Kahlan Amnell, Zeddicus Zu'l Zorander, and Cara."

Wesley nodded his head as he took in the information. "And he's obviously a wizard," Wesley pointed towards Zedd, "and she's a confessor, but what's a Mord Sith?" Everyone stared at Wesley as if he was mentally handicapped. "What?"

Cara scoffed in disbelief. Apparently his ignorance last night was sincere. "You really don't know what a Mord Sith is?"

Wesley just shrugged his shoulder. "At least I know what a confessor is." He said that as if it made him sound less naïve. Kahlan's eyebrow arched. "We're kind of related." Wesley said with a wink.

"And the Seeker, have you heard of him?" Kahlan asked.

"Sure." That seemed to gain Wesley some points with the group. "I heard he was some man with a magic sword." Those points vanished as everyone's faces washed over with disbelief. "I'm guessing that's the sword." Wesley pointed to the Sword of Truth. "Which makes you the Seeker, right?" Richard looked dumbfounded at Wesley but nodded. "That's all very interesting," Wesley's tone was dismissive, "but I'd like to learn more about what a Mord Sith is and why they carry around that little stick." Wesley nodded towards Cara's agiels then looked her in the eye. What he found was extreme annoyance and irritation as Cara glared defiantly back at him.

Kahlan, Richard, and Zedd looked at each other uncomfortably. "Well the Mord Sith were created by Darken Rahl…" Richard was cut off by an alarmingly excited look from Wesley.

"Oh!" He shouted. "I know that name." Wesley looked like a student who had figured out the answer to a particularly challenging question. "He's that man who killed off all my people and who everyone seems to be _so_ afraid of." Wesley grinned like a Cheshire cat as everyone else stared at him with his or her mouths agape.

"Wesley," Kahlan said as if speaking to a child, "Darken Rahl was an evil tyrant who brought oppression and fear to the Midlands." She looked at Richard. "And the Seeker is the man who was prophesied to defeat him." She looked back at a wide-eyed Wesley. "How is it that you know so little about all of this?"

"Probably the same reason I'm still alive." Wesley slouched nonchalantly against the cave wall and folded his hands behind his neck. "I've traveled all across the Midlands since I was ten, never staying in a town for more than a day, avoiding the cities, and keeping to myself out in the wild, away from civilization. You're the first people I've had a real conversation with in months."

Kahlan's face softened. "So you've never had a home." Her tone was tender with pity.

"No." Wesley corrected with slight indignation. He wasn't fond of people's pity. "I had a home fifteen years ago, and I have no desire to make one again."

"Why did you start traveling?" Richard asked. He too felt pity for the man but he could understand why Wesley wasn't fond of his childhood home. A brothel full of drunken men and whores was no place to raise a child and Richard was sure Wesley probably had a particularly difficult upbringing. The son of a whore and a lorcan wouldn't have been looked upon lightly.

"My mother died when I was ten," Wesley began wiggling his feet, "which was around the time this Darken Rahl was persecuting my kind, and so I left and haven't stopped moving since." Wesley stood and walked to the opening of the cave. His mood turned somber. "Not only did he massacre every lorcan in their village, but he sent his troops to kill any surviving ones." The last rays of light warmed Wesley's handsome face. "I figured, he couldn't kill me if he couldn't catch me." An eerie silence settled over the cave's inhabitants as Wesley's words sunk in. Richard realized Wesley was a product of Rahl's cruelty just like they all were. He had been hunted like Richard had been when he was young and his race had been cruelly persecuted like Kahlan and her sisters. Richard started to feel more empathy for the man than pity. "I don't see what the big deal was about him anyway." Wesley's mood lightened as he turned back to the group. His mood swings seemed to be like night and day. "He doesn't sound so menacing."

"Arrogant bastard." Cara scoffed. Everyone else looked at Wesley like the ignorant man he was.

"Well if you were able to kill him off easily enough." Wesley looked at Richard. "It would seem to me that the Seeker is much more powerful and that it was just a matter of time before he said 'enough' and killed him."

"It wasn't as easy as that." Richard said softly. Despite Wesley's dismissal of his difficult journey to defeat Rahl, Richard remembered that Wesley was an outsider to the world. Things were going to be a little skewed with him. "We had to face a lot of challenges in order to kill Rahl. I was only able to do it with _their_ help." Richard indicated the three other members.

Wesley rolled his eyes. "Sure, but I still think this Rahl guy wasn't as tough as everyone made him out to be. Take away his army and you'd just have a spoiled, bitter man, at least, that's what I think."

"He had you running like a coward, didn't he?" Cara spat.

"First off," Wesley raised his index finger, "I was ten. Secondly," he raised another finger, "I had a whole army after me and no great wizard, no confessor, or Mord Sith to protect me. Not to be disrespectful." Wesley gave a sincere look of revere to Richard. "If it wasn't for you I'd still have to be running." He shifted his gaze back to Cara's. "Plus, if anyone knew what I was, someone would always try and sell me off to the nearest D'Haran squad. So I did the logical thing and ran. Anyways," he put his hand back down and walked back to sit by the fire, "thanks to you, I can finally stay and properly enjoy myself in a town for more than a day."

"I have a question that's been bothering me." Richard said, raising a hand.

"You mean, other than if I'm going to try and kill you when you sleep."

Richard gave Wesley a serious look. "How'd you get away from us yesterday? You just disappeared."

Wesley smiled smugly. "Mm, I had dug a ditch there earlier and then camouflaged it with some fallen branches. I was lying just between the tree and fern, not five feet from you. If you had take a step forward, you'd probably have fallen atop of me." Wesley chuckled. "That's happened before." Richard smiled a knowing grin. Something of the sort had probably happened to him at some point. "I was lucky you were looking up instead of down." The last rays of sunlight finally disappeared below the horizon and Wesley stood. "I'll be dark soon, and then the wizard will send his snow. Luckily," he grunted out as his pushed the wooden makeshift wall to the entrance of the cave, "I already had one of these lying around."

"It's to stop the snow from blowing in." Cara informed when she read the question on everyone's faces.

"Very good. You were paying attention." Wesley said in an amused tone as his fitted the large board against the cave walls.

"I'm very attentive." Cara replied with an acerbic look.

"I bet you are." Wesley said with a leer as he rekindled the fire then picked up the bundle of blankets he had set aside earlier. He unbound them from the twine then handed two of the three to Richard. Richard took them with a gracious look. "You can let the women share the larger one and then draw straws as to who gets to use the extra one, or do whatever you'd like, but I get this one." As if to punctuate his point, Wesley held up a particularly more worn blanket.

"There's no need." Cara said as she stood and sashayed up to Wesley. "I'll share yours." She looked up seductively at the pleased man as she gently grabbed a corner of the blanket and pulled the blanket and Wesley away from a surprised Richard and skeptical Kahlan and Zedd.

"Cara…" Richard began wearily.

"Don't worry, Richard," Cara cut him off as she led Wesley to the other side of the fire, "this way I can keep a better eye on him." She smiled up at Wesley and he returned it.

Tonight was going to be interesting.

* * *

Proof reading that was a pain because I kept wanting to change stuff or switch something around. I'd also like to apologize for any grammar or spelling errors. I try and fix all those as I proof read but sometimes things slip past that the computer and I don't catch.

- romani_was_here


	6. Chapter 5

Okay, something weird is going on because every time I upload a new chapter, it looks different, so I would have had this chapter posted sooner.

Lots of Cara/Wesley flirting and annoyed Cara. I had fun writing this one because some of the things Wesley says reflect my own sarcastic feelings to the show. I love it, but I also live in the real world.

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The wind howled angrily against the dark mountains as the ebony clouds above filled the sky, blankets of white snow cascading down from them, covering the frozen ground up to hip height. The only light visible in the abyss was an orange glow from a cave about a third of the way up the steep mountains, barely visible through the white out. Inside, five weary travelers took shelter. Zedd lay on one side of the cave; the smaller of the two blankets Wesley had graciously loaned them reaching only to his shins. His light snores interrupted the quiet every so often while Richard and Kahlan lay on the opposite side. Both had fallen asleep under the larger fur blanket before their heads hit the ground. They lay close to one another, face-to-face, but far enough so their bodies didn't touch. The fire was still burning, the kindle Wesley had added should last them another hour or two, and the cave was warm enough for everyone to sleep comfortably. Everyone except the two on the other side of the fire that were still conscious.

"Alright," Wesley said, brushing a lock of hair out of his face as he turned onto his side to look at Cara, "now that everyone's snuggled in nice and cozy, time to lay down the rules."

"Rules?" Cara asked in a snide tone.

Wesley gave her a devious grin as he sat up slightly to rest his cheek in the palm of his hand and look down at her. The light from the slowly dimming fire caused his eyes to glow and Cara felt her own being unwillingly drawn into their depths. "Rule number one, keep your hands to yourself. I don't know where they've been." Cara scoffed as she fought the urge to strangle him. "Secondly," Wesley continued, unaffected by Cara's irritation, "no hording the blanket. And thirdly, you only get to stay if you answer some of my questions."

Cara hesitated to consider the terms. Wesley _was_ a very attractive man and she was attracted to him at a discomforting degree, but he was also _incredibly_ annoying, so rule number one wouldn't be a problem. Maybe she would scratch that itch another time. She was also the closer of the two to the heat of the fire, so, as long as he left her at least enough blanket to cover half of her body, she foresaw no violation of rule number two in their future. It was rule three that gave her pause. She never was keen to sharing information about herself, even to people she trusted like Richard, so the fact that this stranger wanted to probe her for answers to who knows what kind of questions was largely off-putting.

"Fine." She sighed. He did say she would only have to answer _some_ of his questions.

Wesley smiled a most fetching smile of satisfaction. "Great. First question, tell me more about who the Mord Sith are."

"That's not a question."

"Fine. _Will you_ tell me why the Mord Sith were created and carry around that stick?"

Cara's eyebrow twitched. "First off, it's not a stick," her voice was like ice, "it's called an agiel and it's the unique weapon of all Mord Siths. Its magic causes unimaginable pain to anyone it touches."

"Even the person holding it?"

"Yes, even the person holding it."

"That's odd."

The corner of Cara's eye began to twitch now. "It's necessary in order to teach a Mord Sith to endure pain. To be more powerful than the magic."

"It's still odd that the maker of the 'weapon'," Wesley made air quotes with his free hand, "wasn't more sensitive to the wielder of his product."

"Sensitivity wasn't a valued trait."

"Well what does one do with an _agiel_?"

"We train people to do whatever we want."

"So you train people to do what you want because Darken Rahl trained you to do whatever he wanted." Cara was taken aback a little over the statement. Her first instinct was to vehemently deny it and explain how it was an honor to have been chosen to be a Mord Sith and that they gladly served Lord Rahl, but with the events that had taken place since Rahl's death, she found the words catching in the back of her throat. Wesley squinted his eyes at her. "You know what I don't understand, is why the four of you seem so eager to judge me by the behaviors of other people who shared my gifts, yet they trust you despite your allegiance to the Seeker's enemy."

"I wouldn't go as far as to say they trust me." Cara snapped, her voice full of coldness. "Richard only trusts me because I helped him kill Rahl but the other two…" She trailed off as she turned her head to stare at the fire. As if she could see the face of the people she spoke off through the flames.

Wesley pursed his lips as he cocked his head in confusion. "You helped kill Rahl? I thought he was your master."

Cara slowly brought her eyes back to Wesley's. "Some complications arose in our relationship."

"So you chose Richard's side." Cara gave a short nod. "Why?"

"A story for another time." That was one question she was definitely not going to answer.

Wesley narrowed his silver-blue eyes at her again but didn't press the matter. He moved onto his next question. "Okay, then answer me this question," he paused as if it would add a dramatic effect but it only succeeded in trying Cara's patience, "was Darken Rahl some sort of disfigured recluse?"

The question caught Cara off guard and all she could get out as a rely was a confused "no." Was this insipid question only the beginning of more to come? "He was an extremely handsome man." She finally said after staring flabbergasted at Wesley for a good couple seconds.

"Well I just thought it was kind of strange he created this order of women that he had to brainwash into doing his bidding." A devious smirk returned to his lips. "I expect he made you let him bed you."

Cara's teeth ground together. "It was considered an honor if Lord Rahl chose you." She spat through clenched teeth.

"Well what would have happened if you said 'no'?"

"You would have been punished for ungratefulness."

"You mean disobedience." Wesley said smugly, causing Cara's head to tilt in annoyance and her jaw to jut forward. "Doesn't sound so honorable to me. Sounds like Lord Rahl had a bit of a self-confidence issue." Wesley voice was mocking but his face was serious as he reached out to touch Cara's face. She flinched away, expecting pain to follow if he touched her, but he only brushed a strand of blonde hair behind her ear. "A man shouldn't have to force a woman to be with him. She should be the one to chose him." Cara watched him carefully as he slowly brought his hand away. He gave her a small, crooked smile, but it lacked a certain quality of sincerity. A sad look washed over his face as he stared into her perplexed green eyes candidly, his faux smile never leaving his lips. He seemed to be searching for something, another answer perhaps or another person, but his intense gaze was making Cara uncomfortable. That feeling then turned to anger. She was Mord Sith. Mord Sith do not feel uncomfortable. _They_ make people feel uncomfortable, not the other way around. Wesley must have caught the anger in her eyes because suddenly his smile turned into a full-fledged, genuine grin that crinkled his eyes and failed to contain a short bark of laughter from escaping through his lips. That only fueled Cara's anger and caused her jaw to clench tightly. "You did it, didn't you?"

Cara's eyebrows furrowed together. "Did what?"

"Let him lay with you." Wesley was no longer attempting to rein in his laughter. "That's why you're upset. Bring back unpleasant memories, does it?" He asked through quiet fits of laughter.

The urge to strangle all the breath out of the lorcan returned fully ablaze. Cara's knuckles turned white under the cover as she squeezed her hands into fists and her eyes narrowed into tiny slits.

Yet this had no effect on the hysterical man. If he wasn't so naïve to everything, he would have been fearing for his life right about now. "Let me guess," he paused to quell another fit of chuckles, "he wasn't a very pleasing lover, was he?"

Cara had to take a deep breath to clam herself enough to speak to the irritating man. "Wesley," she said in a sticky-sweat voice, "the Mord Sith aren't just mistresses of pain." She inched closer to the recovering lorcan, lifting herself towards him so that her lips were mere inches from his. He immediately became calm and collected, staring intently at Cara's full, pink lips. "Like all well taught students," when she spoke her breathe was hot on Wesley's partially open ones, "we were taught both sides of the coin. Pleasure," she said the word with a seductive roll of her tongue, "is another art we have perfected."

Wesley looked down at her with an intense gaze she was sure caused many women to swoon. "I must warn you, I require first hand experience and knowledge before I can truly believe in something." His voice was hushed in a husky tone.

"Don't you first want to know who our teacher was?" Wesley acted as if he hadn't heard the question. He was too busy staring with fixed attention at Cara's bottom lip. He slowly started to bring his hand towards her face. "Darken Rahl." Cara said breathily. Wesley's hand stopped short from her chin. She smirked as she watched Wesley's face for any change. Some sign of emotion.

There wasn't any.

Instead, Wesley just returned that false smile back at her. "I believe it's time for sleep." He abruptly pulled his head away and turned onto his side with his back to Cara. "Remember the rules." He tossed over his shoulder.

Cara's lips pulled upwards ever more. She leaned forward so that her lips hovered above Wesley's ear. "I'll keep my hands to myself," she whispered into his ear, "as long as you can keep yours to yourself."


	7. Chapter 6

So, chapter 6 is finally up and it took forever because I recently moved about two weeks ago so things have been a little hectic. School started as well so I might not have as much free time to update as often as I'd like. I also haven't had internet, which was quite devastating, but now I have a surplus of chapters that I have written. The thing about that though is that I write by hand first then type so the next chapters won't be up like bang! bang!

This chapter is really a transitional one so it's shorter but you get a little taste of insight into Wesley and more Wesley/Cara flirting.

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The morning came all too quickly for Wesley. All night he had been plagued with dreams that seemed too vivid and real but then would escape his memory upon awaking. He would awake short of breath and so sudden, what breath he did have would catch in his throat. Several times throughout the night these attacks stirred him into consciousness. Each time he had to remind himself the other four inhabitants in the cave were not D'Haran soldiers or horrid creatures here to kill him, that the beautiful blonde woman lying next to him was not, in fact, a shadrin about to devour him. Sometimes he had a difficult time distinguishing if he was actually awake. The fire had long died out and the tempest outside had returned up the mountain, which meant morning light would arrive soon, when Wesley gave up on trying to obtain any form of sleep. He moved like a ghost as he slipped out from under the heat of the blanket he shared with Cara, careful not to rouse her, and arose into the chilly morning air. The wind still whistled its sorrowful tune outside, warning anyone who listened to stay clear of the ominous mountain, that the closer they traveled, the lesser their chances were of returning. Wesley had heard that same song when he first ventured close to the foothills. He had heard the warning but paid it no head. He believed if the wind tried so desperately to keep travelers from ascending to the mountain's peak, there must be something of worth the wind didn't want discovered. Which was exactly what Wesley vowed to do. He had decided to figure out what secret the mountain held when he had run into the odd four that now shared his cave. His plans had changed when he realized he could learn more from these strangers than any secret the mountain contained. He would let the wind and mountain keep their secret. He was being called elsewhere by the song of a new life. A life where he could enjoy the frivolities of civilization without having to worry about some man he's never met trying to kill him for simply being born what he was.

Wesley tiptoed to the entrance of the cave and peaked over the wooden door to see how high the snow had risen last night. It looked about knee deep and Wesley was thankful. It appeared the wizard had decided to turn in early last night. The sun's rays were peaking into the sky and he knew his company would soon awake. He knew these were honest, good people who were the reason he could now live a semi-normal life free of persecution, but some voice in the back of his mind told him to keep himself distanced from them, from all civilizations. But then he felt a pull to the group, a pull that had drawn him to them when he first stole their food. It was a difficult feeling to describe, Wesley had never felt any desire for companionship or some void caused by loneliness, his only want was survival, but it burned at an aching intensity in his chest. And when his mind and feelings were at war, he almost always favored his feelings. Why should this time be any different?

He turned his back to the rising dawn when he heard his guests stirring. Richard was the first awake. The purple shadows under his eyes that had been so prevalent the day before were gone and there was a briskness to his movement as he leapt to his feet. His long hair was slightly tangled and definitely favored the side he had slept on. He turned and looked at Wesley with a small smile before he gave the lorcan a small good morning nod. Wesley returned the gesture with a slight tilt of his head towards the Seeker but his eyes were focused on the Mord Sith who was currently stretching all the kinks out of her limbs.

Cara sat with the blanket still covering her legs and with her arms outstretched before her. Wesley's eyes followed her clasped hands as she raised them above her head, causing her shoulder blades to rotate inwards and her chest to push outwards. His eyes then traveled down her slim forearm to her toned upper arm where he followed the curve of her shoulder up to the slope of her slender neck, then back down to her thrust out sternum, where he watched as her chest slowly fell, inch by inch, as she released a deep breath. Hers arms came back into his line of sight as she relaxed and Wesley's eyes moved upwards to her lips, then her nose, then her eyes. The corner of his lip twitched when he saw the amused glint to her eyes. She had a cocky smirk on her ruby lips that clearly told Wesley that she was aware of his eyes watching her and made him wonder if she had purposefully attracted his attention. He wouldn't put it past her.

"We should reach Kellic before sunset." He said, never breaking eye contact with Cara as she stood. Her smirk didn't leave her face as she bent forward to pick up the blanket. Wesley fought the urge to let his eyes fall below her chin.

"Thank you." Richard said as he came upon Wesley, forcing his attention on the neatly folded blankets he held out. Wesley took hold of the bundle then walked over to his spread out knapsack and laid the blankets next to the pot. He turned to stand but almost received a face full of grey fur. He looked up to a smug Cara with half hooded eyes. "You horde the blanket, by the way." He said as he slowly reached out for the blanket and when he grasped hold of it, his fingers _accidentally_ brushed against Cara's gloved ones. Cara's eyes lit up like they had last night when their skin had brushed against the other's, then the smug look on her face hardened as she roughly pushed the blanket into Wesley's chest, causing him to fall flat onto his back.

Wesley let out a sound of surprise, causing Kahlan and Richard to look over at the two and give Cara a disapproving look as she walked towards them. "What?" She asked with a sneer before brushing past Kahlan and retrieving her pack.

Wesley, still lying with his back on the ground, grinned ear-to-ear as he watched the annoyed Mord Sith snatch up her pack and canteen with an angry sharpness. He sprung back up to his feet and gathered up his belongings in a hastily manner, practically tying the knot across his chest before the pack hit his back. He then slung his quiver onto his back as well and once again used his bow as a walking stick as he headed towards the mouth of the cave where Zedd already stood.

"Enjoy your sleep, old man?" Wesley grunted as he pulled the wooden contraption away from the stonewalls.

"I'll sleep more soundly when the weather is returned to its natural temperament." Zedd replied with a biting tone.

Wesley stepped out from the shelter of the cave and into the morning light. The snow reached just past his black boots, causing a discomforting feeling of wet clothing on Wesley's legs. He took in a deep breath of morning air and looked east, to where the sun's surface peaked halfway above the horizon and to where a small town that looked more like a village was barely visible against the sun's rays. "That's Kellic," he pointed to where the roofs of some buildings were visible above the tree line, "where all your answers await you, wizard."

"I'd hardly say that town holds all my answers," Zedd snipped tersely, "but it will provide some valuable information." He walked past the lorcan and into the slightly slushy snow.

Wesley rolled his eyes at the abrasive wizard as he followed behind. He could feel Kahlan right on his heels again, and he swore his skin would blister from where her eyes bore into. To say he felt like the Mother Confessor didn't trust him would be an understatement.

Cara and Richard were the last out the cave and Richard waited for her by the entrance. He had a serious look to his face that caused her to approach him with a quizzical look. "I want you to keep an eye on Wesley while we're in town." He spoke in a hushed tone and walked closely to her.

"Why?" She barked back bitterly, obviously displeased with the assignment. "Kahlan would be a more suitable babysitter. Her magic at least has an effect on him."

"If Kahlan follows him, he'll be governing his actions. We need to see what he's like when he's around other people."

"To see if what Zedd spoke of about lorcans applies to him." Understanding started to light up her eyes. Richard nodded. Cara scoffed loudly. Just because she understood didn't mean she liked the idea. Wesley turned at the noise to peak over his shoulder at her. Their eyes met briefly, hers narrowed into tiny slits, before he turned his attention back ahead of him. He quickened his pace, Kahlan never two feet behind, and took the lead from Zedd. Cara's eyes drilled into the back of his skull. "Fine." Her voice turned iced cold. "But if the lorcan race becomes truly extinct, don't blame me."


	8. Chapter 7

AN: There are pictures added. Not mine. Please don't get mad, I'll give credit. The ones of Ian Somerhalder are from google sooo... but any of Cara are from Tabrett Bethell Fan (if anyone would like to tell how, if possible, I can put a link a picture on here, that would be much appreciated). You'll have to go to my photobucket, which, if you're interested, I have put on my profile right under the **About Me** section The first picture is what Wesley looked like before and the second and third are what he looks like after. Cara's only picture is what I had in my head.

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The town of Kellic was situated almost twenty miles southeast of the wizard's mountain. The water from the melting snow bordered the western side of the town, the temperature so cold it could freeze a man in under two minutes. The buildings were constructed out of wood and shingles most likely from the looming trees that encircled them and were constructed around a small well that seemed to be the center of town. The largest building stood at the north end of town, dwarfing the rest. It was the busiest as well, which didn't mean much since the town appeared void of most life, but the traffic was steadily moving in and out at an equal rate, and judging by the state of inebriation the inhabitants left in, the large, two storied building was most likely the town's tavern. The tavern was the loudest source of noise, the smaller shops and homes flanking it were almost dead silent, but even the noise from the tavern was barely more than a dull murmur. The lighting was no better as most of the lamps only flicked with a light glow. It was near sunset when Wesley led the Seeker and his companions into town. There was only a few passing people on the streets that moved with heads downcast and disappeared almost as soon as they appeared. Never once did one look up at the newcomers as they pasted by. An eerie chill crawled up Richard's spine when he walked into town.

Wesley, though, seemed not to notice the melancholy atmosphere of the town. His eyes were wide with what could only be an excitement of a four-year-old in a candy shop. He turned towards the group with a smile. "Welcome to Kellic." He said while using a hand to indicate the morose town. "Occupy your time as you'd like." He gave a small bow then abruptly turned on his heel and headed north.

Richard stepped out in front of the group after Wesley was a few yards away. "Alright, Cara's going to follow Wesley to make sure he doesn't cause any trouble for these people," Cara rolled her eyes in annoyance when Richard's met hers, "while Kahlan and I try to find someone who can tell us more about the wizard. Zedd, try to find us some descent shelter for the night, then do some digging of your own." The four split in different directions, Zedd heading to the right to inquire any person willing to acknowledge his presence for room and board, Kahlan and Richard walking side-by-side on the left side of town trying to get a hold of anyone's attention, and Cara heading north. She moved stealthily, like a lion stalking its prey, as she kept her eyes focused on the shaggy haired man about twenty yards ahead of her.

She followed him to the entrance of the tavern but he stopped short from entering and tilted his head slightly to the right. Cara paused and moved slightly more into the shadow of the building's wooden pillar. Of course the first thing a man who hadn't seen a civilization in over a series of months would be attracted to was the allure of ale mixed with flesh. Wesley took a lingering look back into the dimly lit tavern. He appeared to sway, as if one half of his body wished to enter and the other wanted to pull him to the right. The pull eventually won out and Wesley headed right. Cara resumed her pursuit. He walked as if in a hurry and entered into a small shop that read "Bath House." Cara stationed herself near the building to watch who entered and exited but stood far enough away to keep out of sight.

She stood outside the bathhouse for almost forty-five minutes when she started to feel extremely agitated. It wasn't normal for one to take such prolonged baths. The water had to be thoroughly cold by now and with the blizzard sure to arrive soon, a wise man would not linger in wet conditions. She was about to go in and see if the insufferable man had drowned when she felt a light tap on her shoulder. She spun quickly and with her elbow aimed at the intruder's face.

It connected with Wesley's cheekbone and sent the lorcan into one of the wood pillars. "For the love of the Creator, it's just me." He said as he lightly cupped his soon-to-be bruised cheek. He used the pillar for support as he looked at Cara through his uncovered eye.

"How did…"

"The bath house has an adjoining door to this clothing shop." Wesley said shortly, cutting off Cara's question before she asked it and using his head to indicate the neighboring building that indeed read "Clothing Shop." Cara then noticed that Wesley had traded his tattered, dirty clothing for fresh ones. He still wore his old pair of black boots and a clean pair of black pants, but he had replaced his holey green shirt for a dark grey one of a similar, v-neck cut. His dark green cloak still rested on his shoulders and his bow was still slung across his chest with his tan knapsack but his quiver was new as well and made from dark tan leather.

Not only had Wesley procured fresh clothing, he himself appeared clean. His shaggy hair had been trimmed into a neat do that barely pasted his ears and no longer shadowed his beautiful eyes but only reached about mid-forehead. He had shaved also; so he no longer sported a scraggly beard and the dirt and grime that had caked his handsome face had been washed away to reveal tan, smooth skin. All of which made the man in front of Cara appear a different person.

(AN: Wesley 4 vs. a mixture between Wesley 1 and 3)

Wesley finally recovered from the blow Cara had dealt him and when he stood straight, he caught Cara's green eyes roaming hungrily over him from the tip of his toes to the hair atop his head. Her face was a mixture of surprise and pleasure wrapped in desire and disbelief. Her eyes were wide and her lips partly open, as she slowly looked Wesley over. (Cara 21) There was also a tug on the corner of her lips that quickly disappeared when she focused on Wesley's amused and arrogant face. She hardened her face and narrowed her eyes, causing Wesley's amusement to only increase.

"I was going to ask if you'd like to join me at the tavern, since you seem to be keeping tabs on me," the corner of Cara's eye twitched in frustration at being discovered, "but that would seem a bit inappropriate and masochistic right now." Wesley pointed to the reddened spot on his face as if Cara needed a reminder.

"Well if you keep your distance, I think you'll be sure to avoid any more detrimental blows, but I wouldn't counted on it." Cara gave him a satisfied smirk.

"That wouldn't be a problem, I'm sure there are plenty of women inside that could keep my attention occupied elsewhere," Wesley had a sleazy look in his eye that made Cara want to strike him again, "but that would defeat your purpose, would it not?" His sleaziness turned to sarcasm but the urge to hit him never lessened.

Cara's head tilted as she took a step closer to the lorcan. "What do you suggest then?" She asked in a low voice. Her eyes scanned Wesley once again, this time probably for the best spot to land a blow.

Wesley grinned down at the Mord Sith. "Let me buy you a drink so you're not wound so tight. It's the least you could do."

Cara stared into Wesley's gorgeous eyes. He could see her calculating and weighing other options, ones that most likely involved more violence towards him. Her crystal eyes bore into his to discover his motives. She must have approved because she gave him a short nod of approval. Wesley's grin reached ear to ear, making him look like a child yet again. He gestured for Cara to lead the way and then followed behind her to the tavern entrance.

Cara entered the tavern with her usual grace. She practically bulldozed her way through the patchy stream of people entering and exiting and when she walked through the threshold, all eyes were drawn to the leather-clad woman. She felt the fear and animosity percolate into the large room as her eyes scanned across the faces of the inhabitants. The people glared and whispered, some even pointing, and most were bundled up in tattered, mute-colored clothing that were almost as filthy as the tables they sat at. The room had a foul stank to it that reminded Cara of a mildew infested bath mopped with stale ale.

None of this seemed to bother Wesley as he came in behind Cara with a giddy smile. He scoped the poorly lit tavern from wall to wall before setting his sight on a recently evacuated table. He started for the table but Cara hesitated to move. He looked back at the blonde and with a nod whistled for her to follow after him. She ground her teeth together and her eyes blazed with fury but she did as indicated, giving a few annoyed glares back at those that dared to look her in the eye. Her nose scrunched up in disgust when she arrived at the ale-soaked, rotting wood table. Wesley pulled out one of the equally rotting chairs that Cara apprehensively sat down in, not trusting the furniture to hold her weight.

"I'll be right back." Wesley said before rushing over to the bar.

The stares aimed at Cara had some what subsided, only because they were now being directed towards the man who now anxiously waited at the bar counter. The whispers had increased and Cara would catch someone leaning over to the person next to them and whispering into their ear something that would cause the other to look at her or Wesley with disdain. This of course made Cara's fingers twitch to grab hold of her agiels and teach the dirty people some lessons on manners and perhaps hygiene but, surprisingly, the most irritating attention Cara found was the one the tavern whores paid on Wesley. One, a skinny brunette with a pretty, heart-shaped face and light brown eyes sashayed up to Wesley as he turned from the bar, mug in each hand, and planted herself directly into his path. Cara watched in disgust as the woman talked sweetly to Wesley, caressing his arm every so often or thrusting her exposed cleavage out an inch more, but her disgust deepened as Wesley reciprocated the woman's interest. He spoke to her with a blatant leer smeared onto his face and his eyes never strayed long from below her chin. Suddenly, the need for a pint of ale was consuming Cara's thoughts.

Wesley returned finally with Cara's coveted ale, after whispering something in the whore's ear that made her giggle and blush before returning to the corner of her fellow coworkers who looked at her with jealousy and awe. When he set the mug down in front of Cara, she drank a quarter of it before he sat down across from her.

"I didn't take you for much of a drinker." He said in amazement.

Cara set the mug down and looked at Wesley with cold eyes. "The feeling of revulsion tends to have that effect on me."

Wesley barked out a loud laugh that caused everyone's attention to magnify on the pair. "This is a strange town. I think we're the first visitors these people have seen in some time." He said as he took a sip of the golden liquid. "When I was in the bath house and clothing store, the owners looked at me like I was a prince. Like I was their most important customer." He snorted out another chuckle. "And I thought I was a recluse."

The two drank in relevant silence, once in a while Wesley would try to bring up a conversation but Cara was more interested in finishing her drink as fast as possible and keeping an eye out for anyone foolish enough to approach her table. The nervous tension in the tavern didn't subside, and when Cara finally finished her drink, she wished for nothing more than to return back to Richard and Kahlan. The last time she had been in a tavern such as this one she had been attacked the next morning and a repeat incident wouldn't be ideal... at the moment. So, she set her mug down and abruptly pushed out the chair as she stood. The sudden motion stirred everyone and caused Wesley to look up at her with a perplexed look.

"I'm returning to Richard and Kahlan. I trust you won't get yourself into too much trouble without my supervision."

"None that I won't be able to handle." Wesley replied as he brazenly stared at the brunette whore and gave her a wink.

Cara's eyes were hard as she spoke in a cold voice. "Zedd was sent to find us a suitable resting place," her voice turned icy as Wesley continued to leer at the woman from the top of his mug, "you're welcome to join us if wish it. If not, we'll find you in the morning." She turned to send a small glare towards the whore, who immediately tensed at the Mord Sith's gaze. "I don't think it will be difficult to find you." She spoke in a harsh tone as she gave Wesley one last disapproving look before heading towards the exit. She didn't bother acknowledging the people who unabashedly stared at her, or turning to look back at the man she had left at the table. If she had, she would have found him staring after her with a furrowed brow and conflicted eyes.

She walked out of the rancid room and into the fresh air that was rapidly declining in temperature. The sky was dark and the first signs of snow were beginning to float down. The warmth of the ale did little against the harsh wind that crept into town between the closely arranged town buildings.

Inside, Wesley had stood as if to follow after her but remained by his table, staring out at Cara's back with a troubled look. He watched as she took a deep breath of the chilly air before stepping off the tavern porch and onto the dirt path. His body moved to go after her but he only made it a step before the brunette from the corner stepped in front of him, blocking his way.

"You ready to make good on your promise, handsome?" She asked in a seductive purr.

Wesley continued to look out at the retreating back of the woman in red, even well after she went out of sight. "I," he paused, clenching his jaw, "I would very much like that." He finally looked down at the girl with a suave smile and lustful eyes.


End file.
